Testimonials

Recommended by Veterinarians

“When owners ask me what to look for in a trainer there are a few things that I consider to be most important. The first is a genuine compassion for the animals; next is a solid understanding of learning theory and clicker training; and finally an engaging and friendly personality. All of these characteristics can be found with Nick Hof at Paws Look Listen.”

There is nothing he can't handle!

“We have a Great Pyrenees that was turning aggressive by the age of 6 months. By the one year mark, we were facing very heavy decisions as to what the outcome could be. We found Nick Hof. What an answer to prayer. If it were not for Nick, we would not have our hitch and we would have made a decision that no one wants to face. Through training, both for us and Hitch, and medications, he has become a different dog, completely. If you have a misunderstood canine companion, Nick is the person to call. Actually, in my opinion, the ONLY person to call. He is 10 star and more for pet parents and fur kids. There is nothing he can’t handle.”

—Vicki Reuss & Darlene Williams

Paws Look Listen speaks dog

“Nick is excellent with dogs. It is as if he speaks their language!”

—Spence Faxon, Arragon, Charlie & Rockette

What a lifesaver!

“Before Nick, we were unsure whether we would be able to keep the dog we had rescued. Nick provided a light at the end of the tunnel and worked wonders with our dog, Hanigan. Nick is always responsive to any concerns and provided a clear plan to train Hanigan. Any time there is a concern, I do not hesitate to turn back to Nick.”

—Lauren Buckreus & Hanigan

Sweet Grace

“Nick Hof has been working with my Border Collie mix on several levels. Grace was attacked by three dogs and her personality changed drastically. At one point, I thought I was going to need to find Grace a new home. Nick has spent hours with Grace and me helping us take the steps for Grace to be a more relaxed loving dog. Nick is strongly motivated to achieve optimal results, effectively explains what needs to be done or what not needs to be done and is obviously eager to accept challenging assignments. It is important to understand that Nick just does not work with the animal, he works with the owner/family too. I highly recommend NIck Hof, Paws Look Listen.”

—Christine Birhanzl & Grace

Catch the Awesome Aussie

“We’ve had a great experience with Paws Look Listen. Nick is knowledgeable, professional, and equally skilled at working with the dogs and coaching their people. I contacted Paws Look Listen because our young Australian shepherd is reactive to other dogs when he’s on leash. My husband and I had been working on our own with him, but had been having trouble making progress without more structured training sessions. After an initial consultation with Nick, we agreed to a package of training sessions, and I’ve been very happy with our dog’s progress so far. He is getting much more comfortable with other dogs, and we’ve definitely noticed a difference when out for our walks.”

—Mary Warmin & Catch

Carter the sweet Bully

“Our lil’ guy, Carter, was quite the jumper and crazy puppy. Nick showed us how to get our new puppy pitbull to use his energy in positive play with humans and other dogs. We love our lil’ guy and our so glad that we met Nick, who could teach us and our puppy how to interact for a lifetime. Carter is now 2 and we still use methods that Nick taught us when he was just weeks old.”

—Susie, Chris & Carter

Kaiya the Anatolian Shepherd

“Nick began working with us prior to us bringing home our puppy. He understands the trials and tribulations families go through when they first welcome a dog into their homes.

Nick’s training methods work; we were able to take our uncontrollable puppy and make her a much loved part of the family. Nick is only a phone call away and we look forward to working with him again when we get our next dog.”

—Gino DiGiovanni & Kaiya

Rescued Westies!

“Nick is extremely kind and patient with both dogs and their owners. We worked with Nick several times to gain a better understanding of our rescue dogs and were always amazed at what Nick could point out or suggest – often the simplest of solutions that we had never considered! We recommend Nick whole-heartedly.”

—Sue Dix & Finn

"What a great experience!"

“What a great experience! Nick worked with our dog Jorgi (a Vizsla) over a series of visits for about 6 months as my wife and I welcomed our first daughter to our family. He not only was great with Jorgi, he was great with us, consistantly giving us the “why” behind the training provided to get the desired outcome. In short, he did an AWESOME job.

Nick, we cannot thank you enough!”

—The Munafo's & Jorgi, Cincinnati OH

Big Ol' Moose!

“Our dog Moose attended an obedience class taught by Nick when he was 6 months old. Nick was fantastic with both Moose and us (we had not owned or trained a dog in many years, so we also needed to be taught!). We left the class with a very attentive and obedient Moose and never needed a follow up course b/c Moose was so well trained after one course. Moose is an extra large breed and Nick has continued to provide valuable advice to us over the years, and we’ve also used him to dog sit with outstanding results. We highly recommend Nick at Paws Look Listen! We would absolutely use him again with any new puppies or transition/ obedience issues.“

—Audra Schlegel & Moose

Stella, a very happy pup

“Thank you for coming and helping my Momma and me.

My family didn’t like how I had started to growl and use my teeth to show my frustration. Thank you for helping my humans help me become a better puppy. After you helped me with my biting and growling I have become a more confident dog. I now let the kids that come to the house play with me, pet me, and some can even pick me up! I also listen to my Momma now when she calls me to “come!” Momma is teaching me new tricks every day to keep me smart and challenged.

I like that you were always friendly and had tasty treats! You explained everything very well so that my humans could understand what to practice.

I will tell all of my furfriends about Paws Look Listen!

Kisses and Butt Scratches,

Stella”

—Kelly McCaughan & Stella West Chester, OH

Help for Expecting Parents

“Nick has been vital to the success of the Babies-R-Us New Parent Courses Program. I have partnered with Nick for over two years in the Cincinnati Market. His professionalism and expertise make him a valuable addition and a welcomed member of our partnership team. I am so grateful for his contributions to this program and recognize him as a knowledgeable and reliable resource.”

—Liza Collins, Babies R Us

Johnny, the excitable Samoyed

“I wish we could just have Nick live with us. Johnny was so excitable when a stranger arrived, he overwhelmed us. Nick helped us learn to refocus his attention and helped us communicate with him at moments when I thought that would be impossible.

He is much more relaxed but still an extremely happy attentive dog. Nick’s gentle nature and his relaxed method of teaching is a beautiful example of positive pet training with clear results.”

—Patty Herb & Johnny Cincinnati, OH

“We contacted Nick for help with behavioral problems with our dog Olive. The private training sessions we did with Nick were excellent. Not only have we seen improvement in Olive’s behavior, but Nick has also given us the skills to understand Olive and train her much more effectively. He is a great educator of both hounds and humans. After each training session with Nick, we felt uplifted and encouraged despite the challenges that we might have faced in training that week.

In difficult training sessions, Nick was great at demonstrating handling techniques and it was immediately apparent that he is an amazing trainer. We would recommend Nick to anyone, as would Olive.”

—Caitlin, Kyle & Olive Cincinnati, OH

"Our dog has provided challenge after challenge..."

“Nick is kind, patient, positive, professional and makes learning fun! I would highly recommend Nick to anyone seeking a dog trainer for anything from the basics to the most difficult dog situations, or just to learn some fun new tricks.”

—Andrea Booth, Jason Stivers & Vox Anderson Township, OH

"Bridger's transformation has been astronomical!"

“Bridger is our 3&1/2 year old, 150 lb. Leonberger. He recently achieved his AKC Beginner Novice title in obedience. Bridger has many fears. When he reached adolescence, he began growling and lunging at dogs. Although Bridger will always be a work in progress, his progress is tangible. Bridger now, after several months, loves and trusts Nick completely. This is a dog who is sometimes unsure of our adult children.

Nick is calm and supportive. He has become an invaluable resource for all our dog questions. He has been there for us when Bridger’s behavior has elicited major distress.

Nick is knowledgeable and well versed in dog behavior and continues to educate himself and pass that on to us. We have and will continue to recommend Nick and Paws Look Listen to anyone needing help in any aspect of dog training and behavior modification.”

—Susan Lattier & Bridger Cincinnati (Clifton), OH

Mountain Dogs Galore!

“Nick Hof has been training and caring for my animals for over 5 years now. At all times he has been very reliable, professional and knowledgeable in regards to concerns and questions I had. I have witnessed Nick constantly improving on his skills and looking for new training methods his clients may benefit from.”

—Natscha Hubert, Lou Lou & Huckleberry Milford, OH

Praise from local dog daycare owner.

“I have known Nick Hof for almost 5 years now. In the time I’ve known him, he has demonstrated he possesses a tremendous amount of knowledge with regards to animal behavior and dog training. I would not hesitate to recommend Nick to anyone looking for a highly competent dog trainer.”

—Jeff Voelpel Owner, The Pet Spot Cincinnati, OH

"Our experience was a really great one..."

“My husband Jason and I went to a “good manners” class taught by Nick in the fall of 2009. Our dog is a special case, and when we first started to train her, we had a trainer who wanted to treat her like her very obedient breed of dogs – something ours is not. When we went to the first class with Nick, it was immediately apparent that he understood our dog and her needs. Nick was patient with our dog and did not get frustrated when her actions were a bit out of the norm. He could see our dog’s strengths and weakness and work with that – Nick was even thoughtful enough to bring his own dog in to try and play with our dog. He always had solutions to our problems, and when our dog had trouble with anything, he never gave up or got frustrated with us or our dog. What we learned from Nick in that class has helped us since and we definitely look to him for any training tips, vet recommendations, and other dog related things – we trust him and his experience a lot. Our experience was a really great one that I can’t say enough good things about – but what is amazing to me is that after training with Nick our family even made comments on how much better behaved our dog became. I recommend him to anyone who asks.”

—Katherine McAdoo & Raynor Cincinnati, OH

"Paws Look Listen is a wonderful program."

“I met Nick a couple of years ago and once I decided I wanted to enlist the help of a trainer, I knew Nick was the only person I’d trust. He really takes the time to get to know you and your dog to see how he can help, with whatever you are looking to improve on. Nick has a good, hands-on-approach so you feel comfortable with the tricks and techniques that he is teaching you. He makes sure that you are comfortable with the exercises and able to duplicate them yourself to ensure you get the best results, faster. Nick is also very understanding on scheduling appointments (even when you have a crazy schedule). I definitely recommend Nick to anybody who is looking for a very knowledgeable and patient trainer.”​​